Aerial machine.



J. HUMPHRIS.

AERIAL MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 26, 1'9101 Patented Jan. 3i, 1911.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

J. HUMPHRS.

AERIAL MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. ze, 1910.

' Patented Jan. 3l, 1911.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2 eeaaae.

JAMES HUMPHRIS, OF J OHANNESBU-RG, TRANSVAAL.

AERIAL MACHINE.

y Specification of Letters Qatent. l

Patented Jan. 31, 1911.,

Application filed Alugust'ZG, 1910. Serial No. 579,115.

blow.

The weight of the heavy port-ion of the machine including the car is counteracted by making the machine in two separate sections the one working within the frameworkof the other and placing within the frame which supports the rigid plane or planes but unattached to it except by guides a preferably vertical member whose movement causes a base which may be attached to moving wings to be struck by a downward blow, the said member being free to rebound. By repeating this stroke at intervals of time as brief or lessthan it takes for lthe pull of gravity to reassert itself the attraction of gravity on the engine and its attached weight will be overcome. Y

.Figure l is anelevation partly in section of a portion of an aerial machine constructed in accordance with this invention. Fig. 2 is a plan of the same, Fig. 3 is an elevation of a modification and Fig. 3a is a detail `view showing the manner in which the sleeve 30 is supported on the collar 31 carried by the sleeve 6.

In carrying` out my invention I construct the improved aerial machine with a strong rigid but light main framework 1. Secured to this framework is a horizontal main' shaft 2 which is revolved by suitable motive power attached to the aerial machine. The main shaft 2 aforementioned has attached to it a lifting cam wheel 3 and a gear wheel 4 which are keyed to it and revolve with it.

Hinged to the framework at one of its ends andY with the other end resting unattached on top of the lifting cam wheel 3 is an arm 5. llach time the lifting cam wheel 3 revolves it lifts the end of the arm 5 till it reaches the highest point on the lifting cam wheel 3 and then allows it to drop again suddenly Aover the highest point on cam wheel to the lowest point on the cam wheel 3,

Above the arm 5 but with its extreme lower end resting on it isa vertical shaft 6. The vertical shaft 6 revolves rapidly within a casing 7 attached-securely to the main framework l but is not itself attached thereto except with the necessary guides but is free to move up and down as well-as revolve within the rigidly attached casing 7.

Within the casing 7 and encircling the vertical shaft 6 is. a coiled spring 8. The upper` end of the spring. 8 presses against the inside of the upper end of the casing 7 and its lower end presses againsta collar on the vertical shaft 6. Thus when the lifting cam wheel l3 revolves it lifts the arm 5 which in turnlifts the vertical shaft 6 and as the vertical sha-ft 6 rises it compresses the spring 8 until the lifting cam wheel 8 reaches its highest point when itis suddenly let free and gives the vertical shaft 6 a ysudden and powerful downward thrust. This movement is repeated with each revolution of the lifting cam wheel 3.

In order to effect the revolution of the vertical shaft 6 the vertically revolving gea-'r wheel 4 is geared into a horizontally revolving gear wheel S). An extension on the upper side of the gear wheel 9 4forms a casing 10. The gear wheel 9 and its grooved shaft 6. Keys projecting from the sides of the vertical shaft 6 enter long slots l11 grooved in the inner side of the gear wheel casing 10. The gear wheel 9 and its grooved upward extension l0 revolve freely but are held in position and prevented from making any up and down movement by the ball bearings 12 and 13 which take their end thrust or up and down pressure. The gear wheel 9 and the vertical shaft 6 revolve t0- gether; the vertical shaft 6 bein'gallowed to move freely up and down by having its projecting'keys slide in the grooves 11 of the gear wheel casing l0.

To the top end of the vertical shaft 6 and revolving with it is attached centrally a surface 15 of several square feet area, and.;

this surface is incased; with a rim-of ligl'iA material which is made substantially rigid. The surface 15 carries two or more projecting propeller blades- 14k which constitute a lifting screw. When the spring 8 gives the vertical shaft GQits sudden and downward thrust hereinbefore described the vertical shaft` 'carries the lifting screw let with it.

' arms 17 and 18.

The incased central surface y15 and the projecting lifting propeller blades ,14 are guyed above and below by wires 16 to the vertical shaft 6 in a manner to give Isufficient strength and rigidity.

Above the spring 8 and below the lifting screw 14 and its guy wires 16 are placed a pair of moving Wings. The wingsI each have a pair of arms 17 oiie'p'assiag on each side of the verticalshaft 6 and a second pair of arms l18. Each arm of the rst pair of arms 17 of the wing is hinged at its inner -end to a journal 19 iXed near to the top end of the mainframe 1 from which itprojects past the vertical shaft -6 and past the edge of the main frame 1 on the opposite side to a point 20 where it is attached to one of the second pair of arms 18. The second or outer section 18 of the wing arms is hinge@ to a journal 19 at the opposite side o the main frame 1 as compared to the point 19 at which the {irst portion 17 of the wing arm is hinged. The arms '17 and 18 of the wings thus pass each other or run parallel to each other to opposite sides of the main frame 1. The vertical shaft 6 penetrates between the arms 17 of each wing. At the point where the vertical shaft 6 and the inner arms 17 of the wings cross, the vertical shaft 6 is incased with a trunnion coupling from which thef trunnions extend and engage the arms 17. The trunnion coupling is held in position by being journaled but held against: lateral longituf dinal movement on the vertical shaft 6. When the vertical shaft 6, moves up and down by the action of the lifting cam wheel- 3.and of the main spring 8 the arms 17 and 18 are moved up and down with it by ,means of the trunnions.A The slow upward'movement of the vertical shaft 6 as the vcam wheel 3 is raising it gives a comparatively slow upward movement to the arms 17 and 18 and the quick downward movement 'of the vertical shaft 6 under the powerful eX- pansion of the main spring 8 gives a comparatively quick downward movement to the The air strikingsurface 22 on the arm 18 may be either fiat or concave on the under side. If flat its surface will be in the plane of a line drawn from the center of the journal from which it rocks; viz: 19; if will be so laced that it will be in the position at which the air pressure will naturally focus when the downward stroke is made.-

Above the arms 17 and 18 are placed two air striking surfaces or planes 23 which according to this invention are. struck with a quick and sudden downward blow. These planes 23 should preferably move parallel to themselves at alllpoints but for stability and convenience they' have eachA .a pair of arms 24; attached which pass the width of the main frame 1 and are hinged to jour- K concave` then the deepest point` nals at 25 to the top end of the main frame 1 the inner ends thus pass and run parallel to each other for the Width of the main 'frameh The air striking surface 2 3 is raised very slowly by means of an arm 27 pivoted to 18 and loosely coupled to 23. Attached to the journal 2O at the extreme outer end of the arms 17 of each wing and projecting upward therefrom is a bolt or rod 28 which penetrates the center of the air striking surface 23. While the arms 17 and 18 rise, the rod 28 moves upward much faster than the air striking surface 23and the result is that it projects some distance above it when thev Y -arrn 17 is at its highest position. The rod 28 has an enlarged head land when the arm 17 strikes downward the r'od 28 passes freely down through the air striking surface 23 again till the enlarged head of rod comes in contact with the upper side of the air striking surface 23 when the rod 28 gives the 'air striking surface 23 a sudden downward blow.

Another method of performing the sud` den lblow is shown in Fig. 3. In this case the rigid air striking surface 29 lis yattached to a sleeve 30 which penetrates the center of its plane. The sleeve 30 incases the main .shaft 6 but does not revolve with it. .The main shaft passes freely-u and' down through the sleeve 30 to the fii-ll extent of its movement. The shaft 6 has upon itja x'ed collar 31 upon which the lower end of the sleeve 30 rests. When the l"shaft moves upward the collar 31 raises the sleeve .30 and therefore also raises-the air-striking surface 29 attached to it. The air-strikingsurface 29 is vstruck a downward blow by :rods 32 in a similar manner to that described with reference to Fig. 1. The air-.striking surface' 29 is guyed -by- Wires 33 `from the top, and bottom ends of the sleeve 30.

The usual assisting to li or steer the machine may be added.

i The form of my aerial machinedescribedV ptropellers and aeroplanesv for'.

and illustrated in' Fig. l provides air strikangi lifting screw propeller 14:, which acting togetherby, their movement practically over. come the downwardy pull entire machine and whenthus lightened the sudden blow by the rod 28 on the air'svtrik-A 23 gives the entire machine a:

l ous pressure on the air thus hindering gravity from speedily reasserting itself- While the moving'surfaces 22 and the air striking surface 23 are getting back to position for a new blow. The method of hinging* and of surfaces 22, an air striking surface 15A of gravity on ,the

engaging and moving the surfaces 2z is in tended to imitate the movement of a birds wing.

In the form of my aerial machine illus trated in F ig. 3 I aim to overcome the downward pull of gravity on the heavier portion of the vmachine by means of the sudden blow on the air striking surface 29 and to secure the upward movement of thev thus lightened machine by the lifting power of the lifting screw propeller 14.

The aerial machine may be propelled forv ward in any direction by the aviator chang-` ing his position in the car in a manner to lwith a. movably supported substantially rigid air-striking surface, of a rod, movable upwardly through said surface, a head on the iod for imparting downward movement to the surface, power mechanism for reciprocating the rod through the surface adistance limited in a downward direction by the head on the rod whereby the surface is struck a downward blow and means for raising said air-striking surface. v

.3. In an aerial machine, the combination with a movably supported rigid air-striking surface aiid an' oscillatory wing, of power mechanism for oscillating thewing, a rod connected with the wing and cooperating with said rigid surface .to move the same downwardly, said rod being movable upwardly independently o f the surface and adapted'to strike the surface a downward blow and means for raising said air-striking surface.

4. In an aerial machine, the combination I' iwith a movably supported rigid air-striking surface and a reciprocatory wing, of a driv- 'ing mechanism for the wing embodying means for'im ,ai-ting relativelyv slow upward and rapid ownward movements tothe wing, a rod moved by the wing Aand loosely connected with the rigid surface to strike l lthe surface a downward blow during the downward movement of the wing and means for raising said air-striking sprface.

-5.'An aerial machine embodying a rigid -movably supported air-striking surface, a'

longitudinally movable vertical shaft, means for normally holding said shaft down with A* la yielding pressure, power mechanism for elevating and releasing said shaft when elevated,connections intermediate said shaft and air-striking surface whereby said siii'- face is struck a downward blow when said shaft is released and means for raising said air-striking surface.

6. An aerial machine embodying a rigid movably supported air-striking surface, a spring pressed vertical shaft, power mechanism for moving said shaft against the tension of the spring and for releasing the shaft `when the spring is under tension, connections intermediate said shaft and surface whereby the surface is struck a downward blow when the shaft is released and means for raising said air-striking surface.

7. An aerial machine embodying a rigid movably supported air-striking surface, a' reciprocatory driving member, a lever engaged by the driving member intermediate its axis and free end, a second lever engaged by the first lever intermediate its axis and free end, connections intermediate the sec ond lever and air-striking surface for striking said surfacel a downward blow and means for raising said air-striking surface.

8. An aerial machine embodying a rigidbut movable air-striking surface, means for striking saidvsurface a forcible downward blow to overcome the attraction of gravity, means to support the machine during the re# coveiy of the air-striking surface after delivering a blowv and means Afor raising said air-striking surface.

9. An aerial machine embodyingV a rigid but movable air-striking surface, means for striking said surface a forcible downward blow to overcome the attraction of gravity, a screw propeller simultaneously rotated and lreciprocated for supporting the machine during the recovery ofthe air-strikingI a Vblow and means surface after deliverin for raising said air-stri ing surface.

10. An aerial machine embodying a-rigid catory power member cooperating therewith to strike thesame a downward blow, a screw propeller adapted to be simultaneously rotated and reciprocated for supporting the machine during the recovery of the airstiiking surface after deliverin a blow and means for raising said air-stri :ing surface.

1,1. -An aerial machine, comprising a rigid but movable` air-striking surface, a Vertical shaft adapted to be simultaneously rotated and reciprocated, a screw propeller located at the upper end of said shaft, means operated by said shaft for striking said rigid surface a downward blow and means for raising said air-striking surface.

' JAMES HUMPHRIS.

Witnesses:

L. F. Herminia, BERNARD PULLIN.'

but movable air-striking4 surface, a recipro- 

